Treading Water
by jino turtlegod
Summary: What happens after one says "I Love You"
1. Default Chapter

Manga - Addicts Presents:   
Treading Water  
An Evangelion Fanfiction  
Version 2 02/03/2002  
project start 05/10/2001  
***  
  
Neon Genesis Evangelion created by, registered, and copyrighted to GAINAX Project EVA, Movic, and any other company and/or division associated with  
the creation and/or production of Neon Genesis Evangelion. A.D.Vision  
holds the copyrights to the English version of Neon Genesis Evangelion.  
This work of fiction is not intended for any commercial purposes but was created for the entertainment of the Author and Fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion.  
  
No copyright infringement was in any way intended.  
  
Treading Water written by Jino Turtlegod  
  
Author's Notes: Hmm. Okay, this can be considered to be a sequel to "Red Rose, White Day" but reading that fic is not necessary to understand this one. I don't think I can really make a sequel worthy of RRWD so I didn't really put in mind that I'm writing a sequel as I wrote this one. Anyway, just think of this as a sequel to any fic where Shinji finally reveals his feelings to Asuka, and have fun.  
  
PS: I would have titled this EVA Kare Kano but someone beat me to it.  
  
Text Styles:  
" text " - spoken  
:: text :: - thought  
% text % - sang  
/ text / - electronically transmitted  
[text] - computer text  
TEXT - white text on black screen   
_ text _ - stressed  
* text * - sound effect  
  
***  
WAFF Warning! Discontinuity Warning! OOC Warning! All Standard Non-Lemon Warnings Apply! Minor Lime Content!  
***  
Part One: Drowning  
***  
  
Shinji Ikari, a young Japanese teenager with dark hair and dark blue eyes stood in front of the barbecue grill and tended the steaks, grilled vegetables, and the pots of soup and rice. He frowned slightly at his lot in life. Yes, a domesticated male as Asuka had once so derisively remarked. He knew something like this would happen when Misato planned the well earned vacation to this seaside villa.   
  
Not that he was complaining.   
  
It was a good day for the beach. In fact, due to the eternal summer of post-Second Impact Japan, four out of five days was a good day to hit the beach (it also meant that one out of five days it would be raining cats and dogs). Shinji had to admit that it was quite relaxing, even if he did have to do minor chores like cooking, cleaning up after meals, and looking after his own guardian.   
  
He had the bright sun to warm him, the soft sand to cushion him, the cool wind to fan him, the song of the surf to lull him - it was really conducive to relaxing - a good thing if his stressful life was to be considered. All that he could really wish for now, was his SDAT player (which he forgot to pack) and a girl to share it with...  
  
The Hedgehog blinked, ::Where did that come from?::  
  
He sighed. Girl. Specifically, one with red hair, about five feet three inches tall... The one with the fiery personality. Damned good kisser...(not that he had anything for comparison) ::She's still avoiding me...::  
  
Shinji was startled from his reverie by the sound of music. He frowned. Dancing music. He shuddered. Loud dancing music. Truth be told, Shinji hated dancing music. It was too loud and it kept giving him the desire to dance - something that Shinji didn't know how to do and therefore he hated for its potential for embarrassment. He looked at the source of the annoyance, knowing it to be the huge audio player that Lt. Aoba had been lugging around.   
  
Instead of being annoyed, Shinji had a quirky smile on his face when he finally laid eyes on the audio player. Misato was in front of it and gyrating (yes, that's the right word for it) in her black strapless swimsuit. Shinji would have been ordinarily ashamed and embarrassed of his guardian, but what she was trying to do amused him to no bounds. As she was dancing, she was explaining to Rei the finer points of what she was doing. Rei stood impassively in her usual white swimsuit as she watched her dancing instructor. Shinji could see in the blue haired girl's eyes that she was just humoring the Major's order to learn how to dance.  
  
Shinji decided not to complain about the music. If it was going to amuse Misato and keep her out of trouble, then so be it. As he returned to his cooking he glanced around the villa. It was a two story building built on a slope that had been shored up with boulders and concrete. A wooden deck extended from the house and across the slope on stilts. Lieutenants Hyuga and Ibuki were on the deck, sitting at a table that had one of those giant umbrellas stuck in the middle. A short stairway lead from the deck to the beach. A short way from the stairway was the pavilion where Lt. Aoba was taking a nap (heedless of the loud racket), Misato was teaching Rei how to dance, and Toji sulked. Beside the pavilion was the barbecue grill where Shinji had been volunteered to slave away. Hikari (in a neon green swimsuit) and Pen Pen were playing by the waterline. Shinji briefly wondered where Kensuke went off to.  
  
Shinji looked back towards the house as he looked for his military-fanboy friend.  
  
***  
  
Maya and Makoto sat under the umbrella and looked out towards the sparkling sea.  
Maya wore a button up shirt (which had all the buttons undone) over her black swim suit, and very short cut-off jeans.  
  
"ne, Makoto, I know its strange to complain since this is a great place and all, but do you wonder why the Commander allowed all of us to take our vacations together? I mean he's not usually this generous and I personally think he's not a very nice person." Maya sighed. "I know I should try to be happy, but after everything that's happened..."  
  
She looked up at her silent friend. "Makoto? Ne, Makoto?"  
  
The pretty young bridge bunny leaned over towards Makoto and followed his line of sight. Where her eyes landed didn't make her happy. Maya frowned. "You jerk! You weren't even listening to me! You- you- PERVERT!!!"  
  
Makoto blinked from his new position on the floor as Maya stomped off towards the pavilion. One moment he had been watching Misato dance, then the next moment he was on the floor with an aching cheek. "What the Hell just happened?"  
  
***  
  
Shinji sighed. He briefly wondered what happened on the deck but he was able to quickly shake off the feeling. It was none of his business if Lieutenant Ibuki wanted to slap Lieutenant Hyuga silly. It was probably a bridge bunny thing. Besides, being interested in other's personal lives had thrown his own into turmoil.  
  
***  
HIS CIRCUMSTANCE  
[Flashback]  
[Shinji's Voice: It started about a week ago...]  
  
"OY!!! SHIN-CHAN!!!" Asuka waves happily at the dark haired boy from beside the school swimming pool. It was the end of the school term and their class had been assigned the task of cleaning the pool area. Asuka and several other female classmates all wore their school issue black swimsuits as they cleaned the pool.  
  
"Um, hi, Asuka-chan," Shinji replied in his usual timid manner, his cheeks red as he gazed at the auburn beauty. Shinji had spent the morning cleaning the classroom with the rest of the class. He had taken off his school shirt and was just in his blue undershirt, black trousers and sneakers.   
  
Shinji had just dumped the contents of the garbage pail into the school incinerator and was on his way back when Asuka called him. Like a moth drawn to fire, Shinji made his way to Asuka.  
  
"ASUKA! Stop flirting with your boyfriend and get back to work!" Hikari cried out as she stomped over to her friend, the Class Rep shouldered her mop in a belligerent manner. This was uncharacteristic of the Class Rep, but she was hot, tired, and hungry. And she was---  
  
"Yo, Shinji, stop talking to your girlfriend before Hikari sees you and chews both our asses of---" Toji trailed off as he saw the aforementioned girl stop in her tracks. He blushed and couldn't look straight at the freckled girl. Hikari frowned, gritted her teeth and turned about - and stomped back to the far end of the pool.  
  
"Hikari..." Toji whispered as he threw a longing glance at the girl.  
  
Shinji and Asuka could have sworn they felt the cold air between Hikari and Toji. Then, with a defeated slump of his shoulders, Toji trudged back to the classroom, dragging his garbage can with him.  
  
"Weird. What was that all about?" Asuka asked the boy beside her.  
  
"Um... er... maybe you should ask Hikari?" Shinji replied uneasily as he brought up the garbage can as a shield between himself and Asuka. His eyes darted to the sides as he began to look for a way out. He began inching back the way he came.  
  
"Why ask her, when it's already clear that you know what's going on?" Asuka narrowed her eyes as she moved between Shinji and the only way out of the pool area. Shinji was acting very guilty about something and she would get to the bottom of this!  
  
"I- I'm sorry Asuka. I- I can't." He eyed the pool behind him uncomfortably.   
  
Asuka looked in astonishment at the boy before her. "Can't? CAN'T?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'CAN'T'?!"  
  
Shinji looked around nervously, and sure enough, everyone except Hikari was looking at them. The Class Rep was too busy mopping the farthest end of the pool area.   
  
"DAMN IT!!! I'M YOUR GIRLFRIEND!!!"  
  
"A- Asuka, calm down." Shinji tried vainly to appease her. He was quite red at the attention he was receiving. It was like White Day all over again, when Asuka had marched to the front of the classroom after lunch and announced that they were an official couple and that she would personally tear to pieces anyone who dared make a pass at _her_ Shinji. The buzz that incident created had taken several weeks before dying down.   
  
"CALM DOWN?! HOW THE FUCK CAN I CALM DOWN WHEN MY BOYFRIEND'S KEEPING SECRETS FROM ME?!?!"  
  
This line finally made Hikari stop ignoring them and look sympathetically at Asuka.  
  
"I can't. I promised I won't tell." Shinji had the determined look on his face and Asuka knew that she could shout all she wanted and it would accomplish nothing.   
  
Asuka gritted her teeth in anger. She glared at Shinji. Then she was suddenly calm. Very calm. "This is your last chance..."  
  
Shinji screwed his eyes shut. "I can't."  
  
Silence as Asuka stared impassively at Shinji.  
  
"Then I suggest that you reevaluate our relationship."  
  
Shinji felt his heart break.  
  
Then Asuka pushed him into the pool.  
  
[Fade to black]  
  
***  
  
"Hi, Shinji," Maya smiled as she came up to the boy.  
  
"Hi, Lt. Ibuki," Shinji smiled back in a sheepish manner.  
  
"We're off duty, so call me Maya. I prefer it over Lt. Ibuki - makes me feel human," Maya took a cooking fork and began helping the boy grill the steaks. "Why don't I take over while you go for a swim?"  
  
Shinji froze. "I - I'd rather not."  
  
"Why?" Maya was beginning to relax at the delicious aroma of food.  
  
"he can not swim," Rei said from behind Maya. Thankfully, Maya was already used to Rei so she managed not to scream in surprise. Rei wrinkled her nose at the smell of cooking steaks and turned to walk back towards the stereo.   
  
"shinji, do you want to dance?" Rei turned to the boy.  
  
That actually surprised Maya.  
  
***  
  
"It's not my fault he didn't know how to swim..." Asuka groused as she looked at the fruit crates in front of a store. They were in a small town market buying the supplies they would need for the weekend.  
  
"Uh-huh?" Kaji felt a bit uncomfortable. He had been pleased when Asuka and Shinji finally got together since Asuka no longer kept bothering him _for_ a relationship. Unfortunately, now the girl was bugging him _about_ a relationship. ::Stupid kids.::  
  
"So, during all the time you spent together, swimming never came up?" Ritsuko broke in as she brought up their basket which was full of fruits, vegetables, and by Misato's request - beer.  
  
"I - uh ---" Asuka's eyes became tiny points. What did they talk about when they were together?   
  
***  
HER CIRCUMSTANCE  
  
[Asuka's voice : What do we talk about? Weeelll... we talk about school... ]  
  
Shinji and Asuka walked along the school corridors. They seem to be talking softly, smiles on their faces. Then as the number of other students began to diminish, they began to hold hands. It does not take long for Asuka to have Shinji against the wall and kissing him fiercely --- [fade to black]  
  
[Asuka's voice : er... bad example. Hmm, we talk about work...]  
  
Asuka and Shinji on a catwalk over Unit 01. Both are wearing their skintight plugsuits. Shinji was saying something to Asuka, a serious expression on his face. Asuka simply looks at him with a predatory look. OK. So it was not simply looking. In a moment, Asuka has Shinji against the railing--- [fade to black]  
  
[Asuka's voice : Ah! I know! We talk at home about...]  
  
Shinji and Asuka slide open the front door. Then --- [fade to black]  
  
***  
  
"AAEEIII!!!" Asuka screamed in frustration, her hands try to cover her burning cheeks. It was an epiphany of sorts. Since being his and hers, they've never had a decent conversation. Someone was rather desperate for intimacy and it sure as Hell wasn't Shinji!  
  
The two adults in the car's front and driver's seats glanced at each other. Each thought the same thing - ::Great. She's finally out of it.::  
  
"Damn it! We can only talk if we're with other people! But we can't talk about personal stuff if we're with---"  
  
"Hold it! Pilot, what _do_ you do when you're alone?" Ritsuko had a serious face when she turned toward the girl in the back seat. She found the girl's red face very incriminating.  
  
"We haven't really... y'know... but it's not... just... "  
  
::Something I'd rather not hear from a schoolgirl - a discussion of her sex life,:: Kaji thought as he tried to ignore the sputtering teenager. But he had to admit it was quite entertaining to hear the girl flustered for once.  
  
"Enough, Asuka," Ritsuko said as she massaged the bridge of her nose. Asuka ducked her head and got really quiet. "Kaji---"  
  
"Hey! Don't look at me! Misato's their guardian, she should talk to them. Hell, maybe she could talk to all the kids," Kaji said with a grin.  
  
"We only need her to talk with Asuka and Shinji," Ritsuko really didn't feel like having this argument. She came with the others because she thought a few days at the beach would be relaxing - just like the old days. If she knew she would have to deal with hormone-crazed teenagers she would have stayed at home and catalogued her collection of cat figurines. Dealing with hormone-crazed teenagers was something she already went through at college.  
  
"But it would be fun to watch," Kaji explained.  
  
A manic smile formed on Ritsuko's face.  
  
***  
HIS CIRCUMSTANCE  
[Flashback]  
[Shinji's Voice: I guess it happened when I was about two...]  
  
Shinji at the beach. He is still in the toddler stage. A bright, amazed smile is on his face as he watched the surf. With a giggle, he raced the incoming surf back to the dry sands. He jumped in joy as he won against the sea. He then ran back to the edge of the water and waited for the next wave to come in.  
  
A Man's Voice: [nervously] Shinji, be careful.  
  
A Woman's Voice: [laughing] You worry too much.  
  
Shinji saw the next wave coming in - it's a big one. With a happy, expectant shout, he waited for the race to start. The little boy turns on his heels to run but he tripped on his own feet and fell under the wave. He screamed in terror as succeeding waves wash over him and pulls him out into the sea. He cannot touch the sand with his feet or hands no matter how much he strained. He began thrashing around, looking for something to touch as fear built within his small chest. Salty water pours into his mouth whenever he screamed for his parents. He can't breathe. Then ---  
  
Father. Father's strong arms lifted him and held him, promising never to let him go again into the wet, stifling, salty waves.   
  
A Man's Voice: It's all right Shinji.  
  
A strong, almost suffocating embrace.  
  
A Woman's Voice: Shin-chan...  
  
A soft, calming touch.  
  
[Shinji's Voice: I've never learned to swim. I feel uncomfortable near large bodies of water. And... Now I remember. Now I remember why I cried so much when Father left...]  
  
[fade to black]  
***  
  
Hikari came out of the comfort room adjusting her suit. She froze as she saw Toji standing outside the door. Her breath caught in her chest, her heart stopped beating. He was dressed in jeans and a light white shirt. He looked at her with impassive eyes.   
  
She felt vulnerable in the swim suit she wore. Defenseless. Naked.  
  
His mouth opened but no sound came out. Toji looked away and turned around. He left the house.  
  
Hikari choked back a sob.  
  
***  
  
"OK, look Asuka, communication is important in a relationship," Ritsuko said as she re-applied her lip gloss. "If you just rely on sex, you'll probably end up like Misato and Kaji---"  
  
"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU?! SHINJI AND I HAVEN'T HAD SEX YET!!!"  
  
"yet." Both adults deadpanned.  
  
"Well- uh-"  
  
"Asuka, take it from someone who knows. Get your relationship in order before you do the deed." Kaji smiled paternally at the girl in the rearview mirror.  
  
"Or else you'll be too busy to talk," Ritsuko smirked pointedly at Kaji. She turned to Asuka, the same manic smile was still on her face after almost an hour. "Did you know that they skipped a whole week of college just to---"  
  
"Hey! After that week..." Kaji glanced back at the rearview mirror, Asuka had a disgusted look on her face. "Hey, why that look Schoolgirl?"  
  
"You mean to say all you did during that week was to have _SEX_?! You could have used the time to strengthen your relationship! Then you and Misato didn't have to spend the last eight years wondering what the HELL WENT WRONG!!!" She looked angrily at Kaji. "You disgust me!"  
  
"God, I never thought I'll be told off by a kid," Kaji whined. He then grinned at Asuka. "As if you're not doing it right now with the kissy-touchy stuff you do with Shinji."  
  
Asuka gasped and suddenly became meek.  
  
"Touche," Ritsuko mumbled darkly. She was really having fun. Really. "Asuka, have you talked to Shinji since the incident?"  
  
Asuka looked sulkily out the window. "no."  
  
"Eh? Why not?" Ritsuko asked, "I would have thought that a relationships _expert_ like you would have known that that would have been the best course."  
  
***   
HER CIRCUMSTANCE  
[Flashback]  
[Asuka's Voice: After pushing Shinji into the pool, I went to the locker room to change. [sigh] OK. So I went there to cry. Baka-Shinji. I really hate crying and he's the only guy I ever cried for.]  
  
The locker room doors slam open as a familiar redhead burst in. Asuka runs to her locker, gets her towel and cries into it. "Stupid Shinji... Insensitive... little prick."  
  
[Asuka's Voice: Of course, not that he's little, because I know he's--- er, never mind what I just said. So, there I was feeling sorry for myself when _She_ came to talk to me.]   
  
Rei enters the locker room. The doors are nearly taken off their hinges as Rei steps in. Asuka looks up in surprise at Rei's uncharacteristic entrance. The girl usually just materializes inside a room - she never barges in. Rei looks at Asuka in contempt - a look that is unusual on the girl's face. Unlike Asuka, Rei is wearing the school uniform instead of a bathing suit. Also unlike Asuka, Rei is sopping wet.  
  
Rei narrows her eyes. "You."  
  
[Asuka's Voice: Trust me. Never get Rei angry. That one word probably contained more emotion than I've ever heard from Rei... It was actually scary.]  
  
Focus on Rei's hand. It clenches and unclenches, just like Shinji's would when he's under a lot of stress.  
  
"Shinji could have drowned."   
  
Asuka growls as the name of the boy who hurt her came up. "SHUT UP!!! I DON'T NEED YOUR SHIT RIGHT NOW!!! AND HOW THE HELL CAN HE DROWN IN SIX FEET OF WATER?!"  
  
Rei calmed down. Not because she suddenly realized that the water's depth meant that Shinji was only about ten inches away from the surface. No. Rei is much more complex than that.  
  
"he does not know how to swim."  
  
Slowly, a horrified expression forms on Asuka's face. With a satisfied glare, Rei executes an about-face and calmly walks out of the locker room.  
  
[Asuka's Voice: (whispering) I wished that Rei slapped me then. I'm sure it would have hurt a lot less.]  
  
[fade to black]  
***  
  
To Be Continued... 


	2. chapter 2

Manga - Addicts Presents:   
Treading Water  
An Evangelion Fanfiction  
05/10/2001  
***  
  
Neon Genesis Evangelion created by, registered, and copyrighted to GAINAX Project EVA, Movic, and any other company and/or division associated with  
the creation and/or production of Neon Genesis Evangelion. A.D.Vision  
holds the copyrights to the English version of Neon Genesis Evangelion.  
This work of fiction is not intended for any commercial purposes but was created for the entertainment of the Author and Fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion.  
  
No copyright infringement was in any way intended.  
  
Treading Water written by Jino Turtlegod  
***  
" text " - spoken  
:: text :: - thought  
% text % - sang  
/ text / - electronically transmitted  
[text] - computer text  
TEXT - white text on black screen   
_text_ - stressed  
*text* - sound  
  
***  
WAFF Warning! Discontinuity Warning! OOC Warning! All Standard Non-Lemon Warnings Apply! Minor Lime Content!  
***  
Part Two: Breathing Air  
***  
FROM ANOTHER VIEWPOINT  
[Flashback]  
[Rei's Voice: what is love? it is an emotion that i have the most difficulty comprehending. the word love has many meanings. i once discussed the matter with shinji.]  
  
Rei and Shinji sat by the steps of a temple as they waited for the sun to set over the mountains that ringed their hometown. Rei watched as Shinji's face began to redden, sweat began to form on his forehead, and his right hand began to nervously clench and unclench. Cicadas chirped in the woods surrounding the temple.   
  
"you do not need to answer my question if you are uncomfortable," Rei finally said, herself uncomfortable at making Shinji uncomfortable. "i will ask the commander to explain to me."  
  
Shinji gasped. Rei must know that there is a bit of hostility and rivalry between father and son, and implying that the son was not as helpful as the father...  
  
Tact was a skill the First Children needed. Either that, or she was more manipulative than people thought.  
  
The boy drew his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs as he propped his chin on his knees. "No. I- I'll try to explain..."  
  
Rei shifted so that she knelt facing Shinji. She fixed Shinji with an unblinking stare that she only reserved for when she needed her full attention on something.  
  
"Love... is... um... love is when you could feel that you are bonded with someone," the Hedgehog mentally slapped his forehead as he suddenly remembered something.  
  
Rei blinked. She stated the obvious. "you love me."  
  
"uh- I- er---"  
  
Rei smiled. "i understand. the word love has many meanings."  
  
Shinji smiled back in relief. Of course he loved the blue mopped girl... but as she said, love has many meanings; or more correctly there are many kinds of love.   
  
"Love is when you are worried about how someone feels about you, when you are more worried about pleasing the other person that you would rather hurt yourself than see the other one disappointed or hurt."  
  
Rei closed her eyes as she digested what Shinji had just told her. His words began to clarify the thick fog of confusion within her mind ever so slightly. But--- "shinji, could you also love someone that you hate?"  
  
"yes." Shinji shuddered. "It's one of the saddest things that could ever happen."  
  
[Rei's Voice: i believe he meant himself and his father, but he may also have meant himself and soryu. he did not clarify or show inclination he wished to. i believe that the commander loves his son more than he would ever show and shinji the same to his father. i do not presume to know how to resolve the fracture between father and son, i know the difficulties in relating to the commander. the matter with soryu however... ]  
  
Rei glanced at the sun which was a hand's breadth away from the highest peak of the mountain range. "it is tomorrow."  
  
"Uhm." Shinji nodded.  
  
"the sun will set even if we do not watch it."  
  
As one, the two stood up, the setting sun throwing a halo of light around their bodies.  
  
[Rei's Voice: my conversation with shinji ended without much clarification on my question. however, it did resolve in the way i intended. the next day, shinji spoke with soryu under the cherry tree.]  
  
[Fade to Black]  
  
***  
  
Rei blinked as her senses took in her environment. Loud dance music blared from Lt. Aoba's stereo. The long-haired technician was taking a nap on a lawn chair despite the loud racket.  
  
"...and remember to go with the flow, feel the rhythm in your body, it really should be natural..." Major Misato Katsuragi said as she gyrated to the music.  
  
Rei blinked once more as she tried to focus on Major Katsuragi's lesson. The woman was trying to teach her a skill that she already knew. Not that she practiced it often but Rei was a quick study and never forgot anything she learned.   
  
Therefore the Major was doing something which was in Rei's opinion futile. Rei was quite ready to refuse since Commander Ikari had ingrained in her a dislike for anything unnecessary. However since the Major chose her wording as "Rei, today you're going to learn to dance, and that's an order!", Rei could not refuse. Commander Ikari had also unfortunately ingrained in her an almost blind obedience to orders from her acknowledged superiors.  
  
In her mind, Rei did something that she learned from Shinji.  
  
Rei gave a mental sigh of exasperation.  
  
***  
  
FROM ANOTHER VIEWPOINT  
[Flashback]  
[Kensuke's Voice: I am a coward. Funny, isn't it? I dream of being a soldier, of having an adventurous life. And here I am, running away from my friends. Why? Simple. I don't think I can relate to them anymore.]  
  
Kensuke, Toji, and Shinji sat under one of the cherry trees, the boys ate their lunch in contemplative silence. The sound of young voices raised in joy could be heard in the distance.  
  
Kensuke's eyes took in his friend's dispositions.  
  
Shinji had a faraway look in his eyes, a sense of longing and loss was in his eyes. Surely the boy wasn't missing his girlfriend already? They were together just a few minutes before. Maybe he wants to eat with her rather than his friends? Nah, for Kensuke that couldn't be the reason, he and Toji are Shinji's best friends! Surely Shinji would want to be with them, a welcome respite from the demanding demon Shinji calls his girlfriend!  
  
Toji however also had the same expression in his eyes, but it was darker - as if he had a heavy burden on his shoulders. Kensuke felt a chill in his heart. Toji was worried about something! Is it about Toji's sister?! Kensuke knew that the little girl was still in the hospital, but all she had were broken legs and some ribs, had something gone wrong?  
  
Kensuke blinked, no, that's not it. Toji would have been angry if it was about his sister. The jock was easy enough to read to know that if something bothered him with regards to those close to him, Toji tended to get angry not depressed. Hikari? Yes, that would be a more appropriate reason for Toji's dark mood. But what? Did the two have an argument?  
  
Kensuke paused with his chopsticks poised by his lips. The bespectacled boy looked up at the green canopy as he digested the observations he had gathered. Kensuke decided to approach the matter in the only way that he knew Toji could understand and be unable to evade.  
  
"Oi, Toji, what did you and Hikari fight about?"  
  
Toji nearly choked on the soda he was drinking straight from the bottle. "W-WHAT?! We didn't have a fight!" Toji sputtered as he wiped the soda from his face.  
  
Kensuke pushed his glasses up the base of his nose, the sunlight glinted off the lenses. "Then why are you eating store bought food instead of Hikari's boxed lunches? And why aren't we eating with the girls?"  
  
Toji reddened. Shinji just glanced at his friends nervously, looking guilty; not that he was guilty of anything, it was just the way he acted whenever there was a confrontation.  
  
"That's because we feel sorry for you! You seem uncomfortable whenever we're with the girls!" Toji blurted out in anger.  
  
[Kensuke's Voice: OK. So, he's right. I feel lonely even if I'm in their company. It's as if they gone somewhere where I can't follow. I felt like a child in an adult's party. Unneeded. Unnecessary.]  
  
"THEN GO BACK TO THEM!!! IF I'M SO MUCH OF A BURDEN TO YOUR HAPPINESS, GO!!!" Kensuke stood up, surprising Shinji and Toji at his outburst. He angrily began to pack his litter.   
  
Toji looked guilty, unable to look his childhood friend in the eye. Shinji just sat there, his eyes also turned away from his friends.  
  
Finally, Toji spoke. "Kensuke... sorry."  
  
"Shut up!" the boy hissed. "Go back to your girlfriend. I don't need your pity!"  
  
Shinji watched, a silent witness. It was not his place to interfere in this conflict. Kensuke tied the handle of the plastic bag and began to walk away.  
  
Then the unexpected happened.  
  
"You're right." Came the strangled words. Toji's shoulder's hunched forward and the other boys listened in discomfort to the choked sobs.  
  
"Toji," both boys whispered. Kensuke sat back down. They listened in rapt attention as Toji poured his heart out, a difficult thing for someone of Toji's macho upbringing.  
  
[Kensuke's Voice: I don't know what to say or do after someone told me a problem like that. What was I supposed to say? 'Congratulations'? 'How was it?'? 'You're gonna burn in hell!'? 'You better take responsibility!'? But like a miracle, the sirens sounded and I wasn't able to give my opinion. I haven't talked to Toji since then about his problem.]  
  
***  
  
Kensuke stood atop a huge rock, one in a group of boulders by the seashore, his videocam in his hands. He fiddled with his videocam, and then he began shooting. He tracked a seagull as it glided over the blue sea. Sometimes, the boy also liked taking a break from his fascination with everything military.  
  
Kensuke found it a good way to center himself, to be able to ignore his problems and insecurities even for a little while. To be able to immerse himself in a world viewed through a lens.   
  
"Watcha doing?" a girl's voice interrupted the boy from his little world.  
  
Unfortunately, filming while standing precariously atop a slippery rock took a lot of the boy's concentration.  
  
Thus he fell off his perch.  
  
***  
  
Misato felt proud as she watched Rei and Shinji danced to the fast beat of the music. Rei danced with grace and confidence, like a feather in a gentle breeze. Shinji was trying his best but...   
  
"you are too stiff," Rei observed as she continued her dance, her supple body twisting, her face had a serene, almost meditative expression. "feel the harmony and flow within it."  
  
"Liar! I thought you said you didn't know anything about music!" Shinji accused as sweat shone on his skin as he tried to follow Rei's advice. His shirt was drenched in sweat, sticking to the slim planes of his body.  
  
Rei's eyes twinkled with mischief, then as if it was never there the playful twinkle was gone. "i was able to learn fast."  
  
"There's something you don't see every day," an amused voice said in Misato's ear. Misato yelped and swung her elbow out, catching the person in the face. Shinji stumbled at the distracting cry from Misato while Rei continued without missing a beat.  
  
"Kaji! Damnit don't surprise me!" Misato cried out as she tried to pry Kaji's fingers from his face so she could assess the damage.  
  
"Showi, woan hammen aghen," Kaji said. "Ah thing ahm mleedin." He turned away from the worried Misato.  
  
"Honey, we're home," Ritsuko announced as she greeted her assistant by the grill.  
  
"Welcome home, Doctor!" Maya replied with her usual perky enthusiasm. Then Maya's face darkened as she saw Makoto behind Ritsuko, the male bridge bunny was carrying several bags of groceries.  
  
"Uhm, help please," Makoto pleaded to the others as the grocery bags threatened to spill.  
  
"Here, let me," Kaji straightened up and made to take some of the bags from the younger man.  
  
Misato blinked. "YOU FUCKING IDIOT!!! YOU MADE ME WORRY!!!" She launched a drop kick at Kaji. Kaji sidestepped and Misato landed on the sand. Kaji laughed at the fallen woman which had the effect of making Misato stand up and chase Kaji while issuing dire threats to separate him from something very dear him.  
  
The others just watched the two ex-lovers chase one another like children in a playground. Except for Lt. Aoba who was still sleeping.  
  
"I could say that that's something you don't see everyday but I've seen it too often when I was in college," Ritsuko turned to her assistant by the grill. "Can we eat yet?"  
  
"Oh, gee, thanks..." Forgotten in the incredulous situation, Makoto watched in despair as a bag dropped from the stack he was carrying.  
  
Rei deftly caught the bag before it could shatter on the ground. No one had seen her move from beside the audio system. The girl looked at the cans of beer in the bag. "i am hungry."  
  
***  
  
Hikari sat on the deck looking at the silly scene of two adults playing at being kids. Hikari had tied a tie-dyed wrap-around skirt about her waist. Hikari absentmindedly petted Pen Pen who sat in her lap.   
  
"Hey, Hikari," Asuka greeted as she came out of the house and onto the raised patio.  
  
"Hey yourself," Hikari smiled at her friend. Pen Pen looked at his housemate and lazily raised an eyebrow. "You just missed seeing Shinji dance." A pained expression on the redhead told Hikari that Asuka hadn't missed seeing Shinji dance - with another girl.  
  
"So, will you tell me or not?" Asuka sat on the chair opposite Hikari's.  
  
Hikari's eyes turned aside, unable to look her best friend in the eye. "Tell you what?"  
  
"What happened between you and the monkey," Asuka pressed on, leaning forward in her chair.  
  
A moment's hesitation as the girl debated with herself, she finally mumbled, "... nothing."  
  
"Hikari, that's Shinji's line," Asuka retorted. "Please, I want to understand, I hurt my boyfriend because I didn't understand." Her eyes moistened as she fought back the tears.  
  
Hikari bit her lower lips.  
  
"FINE! KEEP YOUR FUCKING SECRETS!!!" Asuka screamed as she stood up, knocking her chair over. Asuka turned to run down towards the beach but Shinji stood at the top of the stairs to the beach. He looked at Asuka with his soulful blue eyes, eyes which Asuka was unable to meet.  
  
Shinji and Hikari watched Asuka run into the house.   
  
***  
  
FROM ANOTHER VIEWPOINT  
[Kensuke's Voice: My thoughts at the moment: Ooooouuuuchhhh....]  
  
"Sorry, are you all right?"   
  
Kensuke lay on the soft sand, a girl in a white sundress knelt beside him. The girl leaned over his prone figure, a worried expression on her face.  
  
Kensuke looked up at the beautiful face that dominated his vision. "Who?" The face was vaguely familiar. "I know you."  
  
The girl nodded, "Yes, Upperclassman Aida."  
  
"Ah! I remember!" Kensuke sat up as he remembered. Unfortunately this had the unintended effect of smashing his forehead against the girl's.  
  
"C-camera," Kensuke stuttered as he held his head, regardless of possible concussion, he still had his priorities set.  
  
"Here," the girl held out the camera with one hand, while the other rubbed the bump on her head.  
  
"Thank you, Aoki, isn't it?" Kensuke asked as he took the camera, he nearly gasped when his fingertips touched the girl's warm hand.  
  
[Kensuke's voice: That was weird, I've never felt that before, but then again, I've never touched a girl before. I remember her, Kurumi Aoki, a First Year student. I remember her because I saw her kiss Shinji during White Day, before Asuka made her announcement. Good thing about that or else Asuka would have robbed the school of a ... damn! What the Hell am I thinking?!]  
  
"I'm sorry if I bumped you," Kensuke apologized as he inspected his camera for damage. He saw the red light which indicated that the camera was still recording. He shut down the camera.  
  
"I'm sorry if I made you fall, Upperclassman Aida," the girl blushed in embarrassment. "I've got to go, my family's expecting me."  
  
[Kensuke's Voice: And then she was gone in a flash of sunlight and white cloth.]  
  
***  
  
Asuka sat by the window seat in the second floor room she shared with Hikari and Rei. The redhead rested her head on her forearms as she slumped against the windowsill.   
  
"Asuka."  
  
The girl stiffened at the timid voice coming from the open doorway. She felt shame and guilt.  
  
"Asuka, we're gonna eat." He waited for a few moments, but the girl didn't show any reaction. He turned to walk away. After a few steps he turned and looked over his shoulder.   
  
Asuka still sat by the window, but she gazed after his retreating back. He could see the sparkling tears welling up in her eyes.  
  
He sighed. And walked away.  
  
***  
  
To Be Continued... 


	3. chapter 3

Manga - Addicts Presents:   
Treading Water  
An Evangelion Fanfiction  
05/10/2002  
***  
  
Neon Genesis Evangelion created by, registered, and copyrighted to GAINAX Project EVA, Movic, and any other company and/or division associated with  
the creation and/or production of Neon Genesis Evangelion. A.D.Vision  
holds the copyrights to the English version of Neon Genesis Evangelion.  
This work of fiction is not intended for any commercial purposes but was created for the entertainment of the Author and Fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion.  
  
No copyright infringement was in any way intended.  
  
Treading Water written by Jino Turtlegod  
***  
" text " - spoken  
:: text :: - thought  
% text % - sang  
/ text / - electronically transmitted  
[text] - computer text  
TEXT - white text on black screen   
_text_ - stressed  
*text* - sound  
  
***  
WAFF Warning! Discontinuity Warning! OOC Warning! All Standard Non-Lemon Warnings Apply! Minor Lime Content!  
***  
Part Three: Sink or Swim  
***  
  
Shinji trudged wearily down to the picnic table on the raised veranda of the house. The adults were chatting lively, like high school kids during lunch break.  
  
The high school kids all acted like depressed adults in the throes of mid-life crises. Except for Rei who had her usual non-expression, and Kensuke who had a preoccupied look behind his glasses. Asuka wasn't at the table but probably looked like the melancholic majority.  
  
Shinji looked down at the juicy steak on his plate and the large helping of vegetables and rice. Suddenly he wasn't as hungry as he was when he filled his plate.  
  
"WHAT?!" It was an explosion of feminine outrage.   
  
Everyone looked at the end of the table where Misato sat. Ritsuko had a pleased look on her face, Kaji smirked, and Misato tried to hide her face behind the can of beer she was drinking.  
  
"Listen up kids," Ritsuko announced with malicious glee. "Misato will be giving a little talk later this afternoon."  
  
***  
  
[Misato's Voice: Someone once told me that love is like learning how to swim by jumping into the middle of the sea, you either sink or swim. Each relationship is different, what works in one may be disastrous in another.]  
  
Misato floated face up on the surface of the sea, the gentle waves rocking her as a mother would a cradle.  
  
Her Children had to learn life's lessons on their own. She really couldn't help them out in their current dilemma because for one, she doesn't know what caused the break up. And two, she really isn't the person to be pontificating about how to have a successful love life.  
  
[Misato's Voice: My love life sucks. Of course I can talk to the kids about sex and all that, but sex isn't the end all and be all of a relationship. I mean I've never heard of successful relationships based on sex.]  
  
"They'll have to figure out the rest for themselves," Misato said to Ritsuko who stood waist deep in the water.   
  
"Of course, everybody does. But the least we can do is tell them what _not_ to do, ne, Mi-chan?" Ritsuko shielded her eyes with her hand as she gazed out at the distant speck of the speedboat the bridge bunnies and Kaji were using.   
  
[Misato's Voice: 'Mi-chan'. It's been a long time since she'd called me that. Ritsuko. She's my best friend. And yet it's as if I don't know her anymore. Not that I felt I knew her well enough before, but then she wasn't that much of a stranger to me. It's as if she retreated even more into herself, afraid to come out of her shell. I can see the jealous look in her eyes whenever I'm with Kaji or even simply talking with Shinji. I can see that she wants someone to talk to, to be close to, but she is afraid. There's nothing I can do, but when she finally decides to open up, I'll be there. ]  
  
"Learn from the mistakes of others? Not that I had any fear of getting pregnant y'know," Misato's hand strayed to her belly. The jagged scar hidden by the black fabric of her swim suit.  
  
[Misato's Voice: I can't get pregnant. The incident that took my father from me also took my ability to become a mother. My womb cannot accommodate a baby, yet I still suffer from that time of the month. That's the reason I took Pen Pen in, because I cannot have children of my own. I guess that's another reason why I took in Shinji and Asuka. My Children. My poor, poor Children, what kind of mother had I been?]  
  
"Will you need anything for the talk?" Ritsuko asked with a smirk.  
  
[Misato's Voice: I swear she's enjoying my suffering.]  
  
"No, I have all the things I need. A pack of rubbers, a clutch of bananas, and a six pack," Misato sighed before allowing herself to sink into the embrace of the sea.  
  
***  
  
"So, where have you been?" Toji asked Kensuke as he lay on his back on the sand. The boys were on a sand dune some distance from the house.   
  
"Here and there," Kensuke replied distractedly as he played the disk in his camcorder to see if it was working properly after his little fall. The amateur filmmaker watched the sea gull fly in the view screen against a beautiful blue backdrop.  
  
"You look different," Shinji remarked from Toji's other side. Kensuke ignored his friends for the moment and continued checking his precious camcorder.  
  
"Yeah, it's as if..." Toji trailed off as he saw Kensuke's jaw drop and a blush spread on his cheeks. Toji sat up and snatched the camcorder from the bespectacled boy. He replayed the previous few seconds on the disk. Shinji leaned over Toji's shoulder so he could also watch.   
  
Kensuke desperately tried to get his camcorder back but Toji's foot was on Kensuke's chest - keeping the military-fanboy at bay.  
  
On the small view screen a girl came in sight from a worm's eye-view. The girl looked familiar. Then for a few seconds the girl stood directly over the camcorder - providing a clear, unobstructed view right up her skirt.  
  
Toji and Shinji slowly turned a shade of red. Then they glared at Kensuke.  
  
Kensuke smiled nervously. "I did not plan on that!"  
  
***  
  
[Hikari's Voice: I could blame Asuka for my troubles. But I knew that it was all me.]  
  
Hikari walked down the corridor of the school back to her classroom. She was supposed to be meeting Toji for a movie but she forgot to tell the pair on clean up duty to change the class logbook.  
  
Hikari paused as she noticed that the doors to the classroom were closed. Were the pair done already? Impossible, because Hikari knew that Asuka tended to drag her feet when doing the chores.  
  
Then the class rep heard the whispers.  
  
Hikari's Class Rep senses tingled and she stealthily walked over to the doors and peeked through the small viewing window.   
  
Her breath caught in her throat at what she saw.  
  
Asuka sat on top of her desk. The girl wore a white t-shirt and her school skirt with the straps off her shoulders. What shocked Hikari was that Shinji stood in front of Asuka and between the girl's legs with no space in between them. Asuka had locked one of her long legs around Shinji's, keeping him in place.  
  
Hikari could hear Shinji's nervous and excited whispering, and Asuka's mischievous and reassuring tone. Hikari's breath was slow and heavy, unable to tear her eyes away from her friends.  
  
The deep, heavy kissing was expected from Asuka but Hikari's jaw dropped when Asuka took one of Shinji's hands and slipped it under her t-shirt.  
  
[Hikari's Voice: I could blame Asuka for my troubles. But I can't. It was my choice to watch. It was my choice to be envious. Before he became my boyfriend, I knew Toji had a perverted streak. I've overheard his conversation with Kensuke and Shinji and the other boys more times than I could remember. And I was ready for it. Even expecting it. But he won't touch me beyond a chaste kiss and the most daring we went was when he slipped me the tongue. He was very embarrassed after that. Almost ashamed. Am I not... attractive enough to get his interest?]  
  
"Hey, I missed you," Toji greeted with a grin from where he waited in front of the cinema. It could mean 'Where the hell have you been? I've been waiting for an hour already' or it could mean 'I just saw you two hours ago but I already miss you'. With Toji it was hard to tell unless you know him very well that he was a sap.  
  
Hikari stood uncertainly, her hands nervously wrung the handle of her schoolbag.  
  
"Anything wrong, Hikari?" Toji knew his girlfriend enough to know her moods. She was currently having one of her, 'I need to say something but I don't know any nice way of saying it' moods.   
  
Hikari sighed. Then a determined look came into her eyes. "I don't feel like watching a movie."  
  
"Er, OK. So, what do you want to do?" Toji felt disappointed because he had wanted to do something with Hikari and the movie was his only idea.  
  
Hikari bit her lower lip. She reached for her boyfriend's hand.  
  
[Hikari's Voice: It was my fault. Our relationship changed after that, it was as if Toji was uncomfortable around me. He couldn't look me in the eyes, as if he was ashamed of what we've done. And now, because of me, my friend's happiness is gone.]  
  
***  
  
Shinji shook out his shirt of sand as he climbed up the stairs to the house. He had a smile on his face, refreshed by the friendly scuffle in the sand. He was a bit surprised to see Hikari greet him at the top of the stairs.  
  
Hikari bit her lower lip. "I need to talk to you, Shinji."  
  
Shinji nodded.   
  
Hikari leaned on one pillar of the pavilion while Shinji nervously stood in the middle of the roofed area.  
  
"Shinji, he told you didn't he?"  
  
Shinji had a put upon expression as he slowly nodded. He knew very well that his chances of repelling an interrogation from a female was non-existent. "Kensuke actually had to trick him into actually telling us." Shinji winced belatedly as he realized that what he just said didn't put his friends in a good light. "We were worried about Toji, he wouldn't talk and always sulked, so Kensuke had to get it out of him. He didn't brag about it and was very troubled about it."  
  
"So." Hikari replied, tears in her eyes. "He hates me."  
  
"No. He loves you too much." Hikari and Shinji looked at Toji who stood by the edge of the pavilion. Shinji smiled in relief, bowed to Hikari, and left the two to talk it out.  
  
"Shinji!"  
  
Shinji looked over his shoulder at Hikari.  
  
"You can tell her."  
  
Shinji shook his head, a sad smile on his face. "I can't. It's not my secret."  
  
***  
  
Asuka turned in her sleep, waking to the grumble in her belly. She had missed lunch. And worse, had cried herself to sleep in the window seat - now her back ached and she felt miserable. At least it dulled the ache in her heart, even just a little bit.  
  
She stretched, her arms over her head, a wonderful feeling as her spine popped to realign itself.  
  
Then she saw Rei sitting on a chair opposite her. The other girl had paused from her reading to observe the redhead.  
  
"What do you want?" Asuka asked sullenly, still envious of the girl who had danced with Shinji.  
  
"shinji cooked for you," Rei stated and looked at the tray laden with food on an end table close to Asuka.  
  
Regardless of appearances, Asuka attacked her late lunch.  
  
"today would have been your third month."  
  
"Wha-?!" Asuka asked through the steak in her mouth. It was useless since Rei was no longer there to answer her.  
  
***  
  
Asuka stood back and looked at her sandcastle. The edges were already crumbling as the water lapped against it.  
  
"You can build them all your life, but not one of them lasts a lifetime," Asuka mumbled to herself.   
  
Asuka grimly contemplated her words and her fragile little castle.  
  
She began knocking it down, stomping angrily at it as her cheeks began to flush with her emotions.  
  
With a cry of frustration, Asuka bent down, grabbed a huge pile of sand from the ruined castle and threw it into the sea.  
  
"I can see why Shinji's so timid around you."  
  
Asuka turned with a glare at Hikari.   
  
The pigtailed girl waved at her, a smile on her face. "Hey, Asuka."  
  
"Hey yourself," Asuka growled. The redhead squatted down on her heels so she could wash her hands in the incoming surf. "What do you want?"  
  
Hikari felt lost. She had rehearsed the possible ways of starting the conversation but she still felt uncomfortable and the best that she could come up with was: "Well, remember when you told me that I could keep my fucking secret?" Hikari blinked. Did she really just say that out loud?  
  
Asuka looked suspiciously at her blushing friend.  
  
"Well, you see... er..." Hikari paused and took a deep breath, held it awhile, then let loose with: "myfuckingsecretwasjustthat!!!"  
  
"Your fucking secret was..." Asuka's eyebrow twitched. "I am so going to kill Toji."  
  
Hikari had a pained look, "Please, Asuka. No violence on my boyfriend. I'm still going to need him for a while."  
  
"But he told Shinji, and if Shinji knew, that means Kensuke knew!" Asuka grabbed Hikari by the shoulders. "Hikari! He just fucked and told! He doesn't have any sense of decency and respect for you if he just made you a subject for their immature locker room talk!"  
  
Hikari winced, "Can we please lay off the _F_ word? It's not what you think! I was the one who got him to do it! Toji might not be academically inclined, but he's not stupid where it counts! He's very sensitive and he understands people! He didn't talk about me in the locker room, it was just the Three Stooges under a tree! And it was Kensuke who twisted his arm to talk because they were worried because he was sulking all the time. It's all right between Toji and me now! I thought he hated me or that he lost interest after we did it because he was acting differently! But it wasn't that and I'm glad! It was just that he thought I wouldn't be interested in that this early in our relationship and that I wouldn't do it till we got married! Anyway, after we did it, it sort of made him guilty because he thought I only did it to keep him interested, which I think is a stupid thing to do!" Hikari finally paused to take a breath.  
  
Asuka's jaw hung open, unable to believe the words that had cascaded from her best-friend's lips. Asuka sighed and pressed against her temples with her thumbs. "OK! OK! Can you please speak slower? And can we please at least sit down? My head is killing me."  
  
Both young women sat down on the sand. Hikari smiled at Asuka, the Class Rep had a rosy sheen to her face unlike the depressed, sallow expression she had for the past few days.   
  
"So, let me get this straight, _you_ seduced _him_?" Hikari nodded slowly, almost embarrassed at her boldness. "Why do I find that so difficult to believe?"  
  
Hikari turned an exasperated, almost angry look at her friend. "Why do all of you people think I'm a frigid square! I'm a woman too y'know! I also get tired of being prim and proper Hikari the Class Rep! I want to do something wild and exciting once in a while!" Hikari would have up and walked away if only she didn't owe her friend a debt.  
  
"Hey! Calm down, Hikari!" Asuka tried to soothe her friend. She tried to stifle a laugh and failed.  
  
"Oh, FINE! Laugh Soryu!"  
  
"No, don't be angry! I just remembered when Shinji and I had our synch training!"  
  
Hikari's brow furrowed as she tried to remember. A blush spread on Hikari's face and she tried to hide behind her fingers. "Oh, my God. 'You're living in sin!' I feel like such a hypocrite!"  
  
"That's why I had my doubts about you being a seductress, but now that I do look back on it, yeah I guess you do have your drives. You just repress them too much because of your position." Asuka lay down on her back. The two friends stayed there for a while, savoring the tranquil beauty of the afternoon. "Hikari?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Why didn't you tell me? I thought I was your best friend." Hikari winced at Asuka's hurt tone.  
  
"Because you are my best friend. I was afraid you'd think less of me if I told you I ---" Hikari's words were cut off as Asuka wrapped her arms around Hikari.  
  
"Best friends don't think like that about each other."  
  
"That's why I was scared. You were my first best friend. All the others just hung around me because I was Class Rep - they pitied me for being alone, or because they wanted favors. You were the first one to be my friend because you really wanted to!"  
  
As the sun set the two had a nice friendly cry.  
  
***  
  
[Rei's Voice: human emotions. like the deep blue sea, unfathomable, mysterious. yet it is one of the things that make life so beautiful. the basis for the rift has been remedied. it is only logical for the rift to mend afterwards. a lot of variables can still affect my scenario. but i have a lot of trust in shinji and soryu. they are meant to be together.]  
  
After dinner everybody gathered in the living room. Misato stood in front of the fireplace, facing the teenagers who sat on the sofa and the armchairs. The rest of the adults watched from chairs they had pulled from the dining table.  
  
"OK, listen up, it has come to my attention that Sex Ed is not part of the curriculum in the middle school," Misato glared at Ritsuko. All the teenagers had shocked looks in their eyes at the announcement. Even Rei seemed a bit troubled. "And I also believe that it is timely because you are at that time in your life that _stuff_ happens."  
  
A pregnant pause.  
  
"I never had that stage when I was a teenager," Makoto whispered conversationally to Shigeru. Shigeru palmed his face and kept reminding himself that Makoto's family owned the rest house.  
  
"this does not concern me." Rei stood up and attempted to walk away.  
  
"Hold it, Rei! You will sit down and listen to my talk. You may find it informational," Misato winked mischievously at the blue mopped girl.  
  
"unnecessary. commander ikari has already given me a lecture regarding human reproduction."  
  
Everybody's jaw dropped to the floor at the image of grim Commander Ikari giving a lecture about sex. Not a pretty picture.  
  
Misato blinked before she was able to regain her composure. "Rei. You will sit down and listen - Just to verify what the Commander told you."  
  
"i doubt the commander would have made errors. he was able to reproduce satisfactorily with doctor yui ikari."  
  
A round of stifled giggling at Shinji's expense.  
  
"Rei, it might be fun," a red-faced Shinji interrupted before things could get out of hand. Rei looked at Shinji and then slowly returned to her seat.  
  
[Rei's Voice: i still believe that this is a waste of effort. but i did agree with shinji to try and explore what is called fun.]  
  
After everyone had settled down again, the audience looked questioningly at the implements on the coffee table.  
  
Shigeru cleared his throat and asked the question in everybody's minds. "What are the bananas for?"  
  
[Rei's Voice: i was wrong. the talk proved informational and entertaining. i like bananas.]  
  
***  
  
Shinji lay on a lawn chair on the deck. Stars twinkled merrily in the dark sky. He could hear the mostly drunken laughter coming from the house as the others played charades. The last time he checked, Rei's team was ahead by several points.  
  
"_That_ was different," Shinji mumbled to himself as he lost himself in the soothing sound of the surf. He looked up at the bright full moon as he remembered the previous hours of Misato's talk. Rei had been very inquisitive about some points that made everyone (except possibly Misato) uncomfortable.  
  
Then the moon was blotted out by a familiar silhouette. "I didn't know bananas could be so much fun," Asuka grinned at Shinji. Before Shinji could respond, Asuka laid on top of him and gave him a very passionate kiss.  
  
"Asuka?" Shinji pulled away from the girl with some confusion.  
  
"Why? Expecting somebody else?" Asuka gave a hurt moue which made Shinji _uncomfortable_. Asuka snuggled playfully against him.  
  
"O-of course not! B-but I thought---" Shinji cursed himself for stuttering like a sex crazed teenager.  
  
Another kiss cut off any other words. "So did I. I was wrong. I shouldn't have pressed. Secrets are secrets and it didn't concern us directly." Asuka sighed as she felt Shinji wrap his arms around her.  
  
Asuka's head was cradled in the nook between Shinji's head and shoulder. "But keeping secrets from you is also wrong. So what do we do?" Shinji whispered tenderly in her ear.  
  
"I guess that will be up to your discretion. I can't help it if there are things that you can't tell me. I trust you not to hurt me intentionally."  
  
"Ok. I can live with that." Shinji kissed her forehead. "I also trust you, Asuka-chan. I'm sorry I didn't comfort you when you cried."  
  
"It's all right, I really didn't do anything to lessen your fear in me. Deep down, we both know I'm still the Red Headed Demon. But I promise to be much more gentle with you from now on," Asuka purred happily and they were content to listen to each others' heartbeat. "Hey, Shin-chan?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
Asuka rose from lying on top of Shinji and sat up straddling the boy's waist. "Wanna have some fun?"  
  
A strangled gurgle of surprise came from Shinji's throat.  
  
"I got something from Misato's talk. She's too wasted to notice that I took it." Asuka had that devious glint in her eyes which made Shinji _uncomfortable_.  
  
Shinji's eyes bugged out and he could feel the heat spread over his body.  
  
"So? Wanna do it?" Asuka whispered huskily into his ears.  
  
"!!!"  
  
"I'll take that as a yes." Asuka breathed hot air into Shinji's ear before making her tongue follow the contours of his ear.  
  
"!!!"  
  
Asuka reached into the back of her shorts as she drew out her pilfered Sex Ed visual aid. She grinned as she brought it to the fore. "Here! Let's share this banana."  
  
***  
  
Some distance from the rest house, a black car was parked in an inconspicuous grove. At the driver's seat a man observed the house with a set of high powered night vision binoculars. The man watched as the Second and Third Children capered around on the deck. Once more, friends and lovers.  
  
"Everything proceeds according to the scenario."  
  
And Gendo Ikari smirked.  
  
As he started his car, Ikari fooled himself by telling himself that as long as the Children were romantically involved it would make them easier to control. And besides, happy employees are productive employees.  
  
But in his heart, he knew the truth.  
  
It made him happy to see his son happy.  
  
If he only had the courage to face that truth. Yui would probably be disappointed in him.  
  
And the Commander drove off into the night, humming the song his wife had loved so much.   
  
  
  
  
END  
  
  
  
Auhtor's Notes:  
  
Bleah! Done. I know that I left a lot of loose threads but I thought it would be best to quit while I'm ahead. 


End file.
